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"Empty" events in iPhoto after Time Machine restore. Am I out of luck?

The hard drive in my 2007 iMac died a few weeks ago. I replaced it with a new HD, reinstalled the OS, and allowed Time Machine to restore everything. It reported a "successful" restoration. I just noticed that there are a hundred or more missing photos and videos in iPhoto. A chunk of November/December 2013 is gone. No thumbnails... just gray squares indicating that there was a video or a photo that isn't there now.


I tried repairing the library etc. with the CMD-Opt while launching iPhoto to no avail. Adding further frustration, after the restore Time Machine appears to have started over with a complete fresh backup of the new hard drive, dumping all of the incremental backups from the old drive.


Is there anything else I can do or should I just consider all of that content "gone"? My first child was born last summer and it would really suck to have lost that stuff... I suspect there were pics and videos of him with my late mother in there. 😟

Posted on Jul 7, 2014 12:57 PM

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8 replies

Jul 7, 2014 1:36 PM in response to Andrew Rothman1

I have the same problem with Iphoto. Lost 7000 pictures out 8500. I replaced my HD from 2009 Imac and restored everything from TM. After the restore, TM couldnt backup, so I formated the TM disk. First time I tried to use Iphoto couldn't find my pictures. Tried to use Disk Drill to find and restore deleted pictures on HD. Could get few pictures back, most of the pictures I edit on Lightwroom then exported as full size jpg and imported on Iphoto. (.NEF).


If you have any luck, please let me know.


Here is my topic - 7000 pictures missing on Iphoto. Help Please

Jul 7, 2014 7:29 PM in response to Andrew Rothman1

On the library with the couple of hundred missing photos try this:


Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library


1 - download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.>Click on the Add Library button,

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2 - select the library you want to add from those in the selection window.


3 - make sure that in the rebuild window the checkbox "Scavange orphaned photos" is checked.


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4 - now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the Library ➙ Rebuild Library menu option


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5 - in the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed. Click on the Create button.


Note 1: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments. However, books, calendars, cards and slideshows will be lost.

Note 2: Your current library will be left untouched for further attempts at a fix if so desired.

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Jul 11, 2014 7:01 AM in response to Andrew Rothman1

Ok, I've pulled a backup of the iPhoto Library out of the Time Machine. THAT one has missing images. I know those events weren't blank six months ago or I would have noticed it. When I use the 'iPhoto Library Manager' to create a new library based on the backup, all it does is remove the empty events... the thumbnails are there, so I at least know what is gone, but the images are still missing.


I'm beginning to wonder whether iPhoto has been lying to me for months about actually having my images anywhere at all... 😠

"Empty" events in iPhoto after Time Machine restore. Am I out of luck?

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